Of Fathers and Daughters
by Karussell
Summary: Of Fathers and Daughters : He wondered if Katara had ever come crying to their mother like this because his friends and him wouldn't let her play with them and the thought made him feel terrible. : Zuko, Aang, Sokka : AU
1. zuko and kya

_1\. zuko and kya_

She was cuddled against him, fiddling with a botton on his shirt, as he leafed through the book.

It had been given to them by Aang shortly after Roku's birth, filled with stories from all over the world, written down in the Avatar's old-fashioned scrawl, complete with little drawings, and both children loved hearing the different tales before bed.

Kya's favourite was a story was about a king and his advisor turning into iguana parrots, forgetting the spell to change back and realizing they had been tricked by an old wizard, then trying to free the country of his clutches; he was trying to find it.

Kya yawned and buried her face deeper in his side.

"Daddy."

"Just a moment, sweetie."

"I'm tired."

There.

Two iguana-parrots laughing their heads off.

"Alright. Ready?"

"Yuh."

Spirits, she was the most adorable thing in the world.

He smiled down at her, then cleared his throat and began reading.

"The King Parrot."

She smiled a sleepy smile.

"Once upon a time, in a land far, far away ..."


	2. sokka and kyoshi

_2\. sokka and kyoshi_

Sokka was polishing his sword when Kyoshi stumbled into the shed beside the house, room to let his mind rome free, to think things through in peace and quiet - on most days, anyway.

He put the sword away and lifted his gaze.

Her eyes were red and her nose was running and her lip was trembling and he could see very clearly that she had tried and failed not to cry.

"Hey. Hey, don't cry. Come here, darling."

She fell into his outstretched arms and even let herself be pulled onto his knee, which she would've protested against in every other second of every other day.

She was eight years old now, after all, a big girl, obviously, and big girls didn't cuddle with Daddy, much to his disappointment.

Kyoshi whimpered.

He stroked her hair.

"What happened?"

"They never let me play."

She rubbed her face with a gloved hand and blinked up to him.

"Who doesn't?"

"Yuka, Panuk and Silla."

Sokka was confused.

Yuka and Panuk were his daughter's dearest friends, they did everything together, got into trouble constantly, why would the boys refuse to let her play with them all of a sudden?

Though, if he thought about it now, he hadn't seen them all that much the last few weeks.

And who was Silla?

"Why don't they?"

"'cause I'm a girl. And Silla says girl can't play pranks or play soldier. And they're stupid and do anything he says, 'cause he's older. He says at the North Pole, girls and boys don't play together."

Ah, that was Silla.

Of course.

He wondered if Katara had ever come crying to their mother like this because his friends and him wouldn't let her play with them and the thought made him feel terrible.

"Is that true?"

"Well, the North is a lot stricter than we are. They have a lot of very stupid rules, though I have to admit, they've come a long way since Gran-Gran left, but clearly, they aren't done changing, yet."

"Gran-Gran lived there?"

"Yeah. And she left, because they were a bunch of bigots. Travelled all across the world to come here. Pretty bad-ass, if you ask me. It's why we named your sister after her. All three of you are named after pretty bad-ass people."

He allowed himself a grin.

"I know it's not fair how they treat you. But at the moment, they're still just little boys. And little boys can be very, very stupid. Trust me. I was one once. You just gotta show them how very capable you are of playing pranks and kicking their asses."

The problem were grown men still thinking that way.

He still doubted Pakku would've ever taught Katara if he hadn't glimpsed that old necklace.

"You said ass a lot, Daddy."

"Don't tell your mother ..."


	3. sokka and kanna

_3\. sokka and kanna_

He sat at the kitchen table, sharpening his boomerang.

Kanna watched him.

"Don't give me that look", he said, not looking up.

"You promised to behave", she whined.

"I am behaving. Just sitting here, taking care of my favourite weapon. You know I was once known as the Boomerang Guy?"

"I doubt that's true", she muttered and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, maybe I called myself that."

He peaked at her.

Her face was still full of disapproval.

"Really. Not even a small smile?"

"No. You don't deserve a smile."

"Aw. Come on, K. I'm just doing my fatherly duty."

"You're just being ridiculous."

There was a knock on the door.

Sokka sat up straighter.

Kanna glared.

Kyoshi called: "I'll get it!"

A moment later, the man deflated, because the kid who stepped into the room behind his older girl wasn't some punk he'd never met before, it was a much too skinny, much too lanky boy, glasses askew and dressed not nearly warm enough to be visiting the South Pole.

"Hi, Uncle Sokka."

And he grinned like his father.

"Hey, buddy ..."

Both his daughters burst out laughing.


	4. aang and ila

_4\. aang and ila_

She stood on his shoulders, in one hand the line of the kite they had spent all morning building, the other arm wrapped around his head, a hand slipping over his eyes every now and then, but his feet were bare and his wife was a good teacher.

He could feel her trying to stand on the tips of her toes.

"Careful, little badgermole", he laughed. "You'll fall off."

"Then you'll catch me", Ila replied confidently. "You'll always catch me."

"Well, I'll always try, that's for certain. But that doesn't mean you can become reckless. I won't always be there to look out for you."

"Yes, you will."

It warmed his heart to hear her be so sure of that.

"Look how high up it is! And we made it all by ourselves."

"Yes. It's great, eh?"

Over them, the kite floated in the spring breeze, painted in green and orange, the symbols of the four nations drawn clumsily onto its wings by a little girl's hand.

"Will you take me flying later?"

"Sure, sweetie. Whatever you want. It's your day, after all."

He peaked at the kite through her fingers.

Then tightened his hold on her legs, because she was right; he would always have her.


	5. ozai and azula

_5\. ozai and azula_

"Do it again."

And she did, small hands in front of her, a look of determination on her little face, back straight, sweat on her forehead, and she was exhausted, he could tell, but she still managed to execute the movement perfectly.

Well, basically.

"There's a strand of hair out of place."

She pressed her lips together.

Her nose twitched.

She stared past him.

"Do it again."


	6. hakoda and katara

_6\. hakoda and katara_

"Daddy?"

She crawled into his lap and snuggled against his chest and he turned his head and sniffled, dragged the back of his hand over his wet face, because he couldn't let her see him like this.

She had already seen him like this.

He hadn't heard her traipse into the room.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, baby girl."

"You're crying."

"I'm ... just ... I'm happy ... you're a waterbender ... that's ... it's great."

But it wasn't.

And he couldn't pretend, like Kya.

Or maybe she wasn't pretending.

"You don't look happy."

"I am."

They had taken all of them away, every last one of them, everybody like her, and he couldn't bare the thought of losing her like they had already lost half their tribe.

He couldn't lose her.

He couldn't.

He kissed her head.

"I love you so very much, Katara. I'm so very proud of you."

"I love you, too, Daddy."


	7. lao and toph

_7\. lao and toph_

It was hard, reconciling the image he'd had of her with the girl who stood before him now.

She had grown a little.

She smiled differently.

Her pale eyes were hidden behind bangs like they'd rarely ever been.

She was dirty.

She wasn't wearing a dress.

She looked so much happier than she ever had before.

"Toph."

"Father ..."

And then he scooped her up, like he had done when she had been much smaller, much more delicate, though maybe she had never been delicate, he didn't know - and at this point, he honestly didn't care, because she was here, she was home, safe and sound, in his arms, her arms wrapped around his neck, his around her waist.

They still had a lot to talk about.

He knew that.

But they could do that at another time.

"I've missed you", she mumbled.

He held her tighter.

* * *

I kinda know what actually happens. I'm choosing to ignore it.


	8. yosuke and suki

_8\. yosuke and suki_

He had been sick for weeks.

He hadn't seen his wife or child in days.

When Healer Akari brought in Suki, the girl's small hand tightly grasped with her much bigger one, he knew his life was coming to an end, because she would've told him if he was getting better, he could feel it, but she hadn't and he didn't, and his daughter was still in front of him.

"Daddy!"

Suki smiled at him.

Her lip was quivering.

Yosuke lifted a hand.

"My brave little warrior. Come here."

She climbed onto his bed and he brushed a strand of auburn hair behind her ear.

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Daddy."

"How's training going?"

"Good. Are you gonna be alright soon?"

"Yes."

He could tell she didn't believe him.

Way too smart, his little girl.

Always had been.

His eyelids fluttered.

* * *

I haven't forgotten about Mai and Ty Lee. I just don't get anything written about them I really like. So I will mark this story as complete, though maybe I will add a chapter for them later on.


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